December 20, 2012

The Bright Spirituality of Stephen Mueller


Untitled (NYC), 2010; watercolor and gouache on paper, 12 x 12 in. All images courtesy of Lennon, Weinberg, Inc. 


When I spend an hour or two walking through Chelsea galleries, I am rarely moved and thrilled by work in a show; it is a precious experience because so infrequent. Seeing the paintings of Stephen Mueller (1947-2011), currently at Lennon, Weinberg gallery (up until January 5th!, with limited schedule) was one such happy occasion. The small works on paper, in their bright, almost wacky colors, and their translucent light, were joyful and meditative. I felt I was looking at a Western cousin to the brilliant Tantric paintings of India. (You can see the entire catalog for the show here, as the gallery has generously provided an online flip book, from which I took these images.)


Untitled (NYC), detail


The small paintings invite close, slow observation. Mueller approached each form with tender care, with a delicate precision that speaks of depth and attention rather than any kind of fussy obsessiveness. His control of his medium is exquisite: from flowing, subtle translucent shifts of hue, to careful opacities.


Untitled (NYC-6), 2011; watercolor and gouache on paper, 12 x 12 in. 


What is so engaging about these works is their lightheartedness, their inventive forms not of any real world, yet seeming so true, as though they are embodied spirits.


Untitled (NYC), 2010; watercolor and gouache on paper, 12 x 12 in. 


The purple fan shape above and these double globes are figural; when I look at them my mind inhabits these shapes, and floats in their spaces.


Untitled (NYC-5), 2011; watercolor and gouache on paper, 12 x 12 in. 


Untitled (Charleston-1), 2010; watercolor on paper, 12 x 12 in. 


A mystery of these paintings is how such festive, patterned images can be so very deep and carry so much emotional and spiritual weight. Like Tantric paintings they seem to approach an essence of life and joy.


Untitled (Charleston), 2009; watercolor and gouache on paper, 12 x 12 in.


A surrounding darkness opens on a bright, full heart.


Untitled (Charleston), 2009; watercolor and gouache on paper, 12 x 12 in. 


Mueller's images are often described as mandalas, a Sanskrit word meaning "circle". Of the images I've shown, this to me is closest to a Hindu form, with its circle, and shapes like lingam, procreative forces within a brilliant light.


Kabir, 2011; acrylic on canvas, 57 1/2 x 36 in. 


My current preoccupations made me more receptive to Mueller's small works on paper––their intimacy and sensitivity enchanted me––but the larger paintings are also spirited and playful and mysterious. These are all abstract paintings that go far beyond the formal, into a world of spirit, beyond our world of appearances. 


12 comments:

  1. Altoon, I love these -- shades of Hilma af Klint,too. Thank you for posting!

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    1. I'm so glad you like these paintings, Susan, and the Hilma af Klint comparison is very apt.

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  2. I just found your blog, and have enjoyed reading it and looking at your work. I agree, these paintings of Muellers are stunning in their freshness and intensity. good post.

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    1. Thanks so much, Sally, and welcome. It's good to know you also like these paintings.

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  3. What beautiful paintings these are, and it is interesting to read in the NY Times article linked to the artist's name, that 2011 was the year of Stephen Meuller's passing, and also the year when he painted "Kabir" which stands out to me most of all. I am very sad that we will not see more from him, and yet he certainly left us with some very significant works of art.

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    1. hi Mona, it is terribly sad that a painter at the height of his painting life is gone. Maybe you'll get to see the show before it comes down.

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  4. I saw this show on my last visit to New York and I could not agree more, the work is so beautiful. I love that you described Mueller's touch as "delicate precision" rather then "fussy obsessiveness." The work is visionary, like Tantra drawings and Hilma af Klint's work!

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  5. These look lovely, and I love the way you write about them too. I have seen his works on canvas in the past; I would love to view these more intimate works on paper. I hope I can get there -- thank you for alerting me to the exhibition, Altoon.

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  6. thanks, Grace and Ravenna, for your comments. It's good to have my feelings seconded, Grace. And Ravenna, I hope you can get to the show.

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  7. Thank you for introducing me to Mueller's work--he seemed to be a kind of cross cultural alchemist, distilling the various traditions he visited into a kind of shimmering and translucent clarity. I'm glad you included the NYTimes link so that I could learn more about his path. Inspiring food for this new year ahead...

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    1. hannah, I agree about the alchemy of this work, and it is truly inspiring. I'm glad you found it so.

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